Arizona Woodpecker

19 cm (7") Fairly common. Southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico. Oak and oak-pine forests or canyons. Uniformly brown-backed woodpecker. The plumage is mainly brown and white in coloration, brown on top with a dark rump with white underparts speckled with brown spots.

Male has red patch on back of head, females lack this red.

This bird was considered a subspecies of Strickland's Woodpecker. It is nearly identical to Mexico's Strickland's Woodpeckers, growing to be about 7 to 8 inches in length. This species was officially called Strickland's Woodpecker until 2000 when the American Ornithologists Union officially split the Strickland Woodpecker (Picoides stricklandi) into two species. The formerly considered northern subspecies was given its own species and is now referred to as the Arizona Woodpecker (Picoides arizonae).

Song: call is a sharp, squeaky keech, and also gives a rattle call of descending, grating notes.

Videos

Images

Credit: Mark Watson

Credit: Tom Benson

Credit: Erin and Lance Willett

Credit: Erin and Lance Willett